EXAM 1 Anxiety

Question 1

Define anxiety

Answer 1

• a feeling of apprehension or fear where the source is not always known or recognized, adding to the distress you feel
• likelihood of harm is overestimated & the ability to cope is underestimated

Question 2

Define “anxiety disorders”

Answer 2

a group of psychiatric conditions that involve excessive anxiety

Question 3

Explain fear versus anxiety

Answer 3

• anxiety: response to an unknown, internal, vague, or conflictual threat
• fear: response to a known, external, definite threat

Question 4

When does anxiety become a disorder?

Answer 4

• when greater intensity and/or duration than expected given the circumstance
• leads to impairment or disability
• daily activities are disrupted b/c of avoidance of certain situations or objects to decrease anxiety

Question 5

What are the 5 types of anxiety disorders discussed?

Answer 5

1. Panic
2. Generalized Anxiety Disorder
3. Phobic
4. PTSD
5. OCD

Question 6

List the 6 parts of the brain involved in the pathophysiology of anxiety

Answer 6

1. Amygdala
2. Bed Nucleus of Stria Terminalis (BNST)
3. Locus Ceruleus
4. Hippocampus
5. Thalamus
6. Cortex (including prefrontal cortex)

Question 7

Which two sensory stimuli are first processed/filtered by the thalamus before being sent to the amygdala or cortex?

Answer 7

auditory & visual

Question 8

Which two sensory stimuli bypass the thalamus going straight to the amygdala?

Answer 8

olfactory & tactile (why they often evoke stronger memories or feelings than sights & sounds)

Question 9

What is the role of the amygdala?

Answer 9

• the emotional core of the brain–> attaches emotional significance to information
• primary role of triggering immediate fear response

Question 10

What is the role of the Bed Nucleus of Stria Terminalis?

Answer 10

longer term unease of anxiety

Question 11

What is the role of the locus ceruleus?

Answer 11

receives signals from amygdala & is responsible for anxiety responses by secreting noradrenaline –> rapid heartbeat, inc. BP, sweating, & pupil dilation

Question 12

What is the role of the hippocampus?

Answer 12

• memory center of the brain

- stores raw info & info tagged w/emotion from the amygdala

Question 13

What is the role of the thalamus?

Answer 13

receives visual & auditory info & breaks it down to send to appropriate part of the cortex

Question 14

What is the role of the cortex (and the prefrontal cortex)?

Answer 14

• gives raw sight & sound info meaning –> allows brain to become conscious of what it is seeing & hearing
• prefrontal cortex may be vital in turning off anxiety response once the threat has passed

Question 15

What is panic disorder?

Answer 15

the presence of recurrent or unpredictable panic attacks, which are distinct episodes of intense fear and discomfort ass. with symptoms including:

• palpitations
• SOB
• dizziness
• sweating, etc.

Question 16

What is agoraphobia?

Answer 16

an acquired, irrational fear of being in places where one feels trapped or unable to escape (commonly seen in panic disorder)

Question 17

What are the 3 types of panic disorder and how do they differ?

Answer 17

1. unexpected: out of the blue attack comes without warning
2. situational: always have an attack
3. situationally predisposed: likely to have an attack, but doesn’t always s have one

Question 18

What are the 4 possible causes of panic disorder?

Answer 18

1. serotonin depletion
2. genetic predisposition
3. noradrenaline in the locus coeruleus
4. unknown

Question 19

What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)?

Answer 19

worrying excessively (uncontrollable) over minor matters which result in life disruptions

Question 20

What is the pathogenesis of GAD?

Answer 20

1. result of increased sympathetic arousal of varying degrees
2. disruption of serotonergic, noradrenergic, & GABA systems
3. genetic predisposition
4. environmental stressors

Question 21

What is a phobic disorder?

Answer 21

persistent fear of objects or situations where exposure to it results in an immediate anxiety reaction

Question 22

What is the pathophysiology of phobic disorders?

Answer 22

increasing cortisol + decreasing serotonin–> overactivation of amygdala-hippocampus circuit –> increase in fear response

Question 23

How does a behaviorist see phobic disorders?

Answer 23

a phobia is a learned, conditioned response resulting from a past association with a situation that had negative emotional valence at the time of association

Question 24

What is the main diagnostic criteria of PTSD?

Answer 24

witness or experience of an event that involved actual or threatened death leading to reliving the event in some way (flashbacks, internal distress) & having feelings of intense fear, horror, or helplessness

Question 25

What are the two types of PTSD and how do they differ?

Answer 25

1. acute: lasts less than 3 months

2. chronic: lasts longer than 3 months

Question 26

What is an obsession?

Answer 26

recurrent and persistent thoughts, images, impulses that are intrusive, inappropriate, & cause marked anxiety/distress

Question 27

What is a compulsion?

Answer 27

repetitive behavior or mental acts that has to be performed due to obsession or rigid rules (to take care of the obsession)